Metlife’s 9th Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends, released in 2011, stated, “An effective benefits communications strategy requires messaging that resonates with different life stages and generational attitudes in the workplace and highlights benefits that will engage them.” This study confirms that employees, regardless of age, spend an average of 30 minutes on benefits enrollment. General studies have shown that individuals retain more information by hearing, seeing and doing rather than simply being presented information in a linear ‘A to B’ format, like a PowerPoint or standard video clip. Put simply; the greater the level of engagement, the greater understanding of the messages, and ultimately, the more likely people are to sign-up and enroll in what you are offering.
Video is rapidly replacing reading as a way to capture attention and inspire action. Interest in interactive media and now mobile is dramatically increasing as bandwidth constraints are mitigated. People tune in when information is presented in a more personal manner, with the ability to ‘take action immediately’ upon hearing a message. Mobile phones and tablets have become mainstream, and people expect to be served their most important information using online or mobile devices in a clear and engaging presentation. A great way to engage employees with an interactive communications tool is through a social media. Now this goes beyond social media platforms, like facebook and twitter, to the core of what social media really is. Social Media is a communications platform that fosters interaction between users on a given topic by using video, interactive and mobile tools. In the Metlife Study, 74% of companies acknowledge that social media provides an easy and convenient way for employees to obtain benefits information. Yet, 70% of employers say that they do not use social media.
This shift in how employees and employers consume and create communications is happening as companies are facing incredible budget constraints and global competitive pressure. In many cases, internal functions like Human Resources, Training, Sales and Support have suffered serious cutbacks while the work they provide is in even higher demand. Interactive media is an effective way to leverage resources, increase efficiency, and actually increase the end result of any communication objective.
• Increase employee engagement by using new media to support corporate mission, vision and values messaging,
• Present employee benefits information in a more engaging format that gives employees and their spouses access to critical information any time, any place,
• Engage investors and the community by bringing external media like Annual Reports and Community Involvement to life with video, animation of key financial and community benefit information,
• Re-use digital assets across all areas of the company to avoid duplication of marketing communication, sales, financial and community benefit material,
• Increase the ‘WOW’ factor so both internal and external stakeholders see your organization as innovative – reducing dependence on paper and the costs of production and inventory, more importantly, ensuring real-time accuracy of any and all communications.
As a national leader in providing interactive and mobile solutions for employee benefits and corporate communications, Axcept Media offers the most creative and cost-effective solutions using new and emerging media. For example, many Fortune 500 companies have used our interactive Flipbook and Padfolio products to simplify their employee benefits communications during times of rapid change and increasing employee responsibility for health and welfare benefits. Engage, Educate and Motivate!